A Beginner's Guide to Living in Bratislava, Slovakia

About Bratislava

Bratislava is the capital city of the Slovak Republic; but with a population of just over half million, it’s hardly a crowded place.

As the biggest city in the country, Bratislava has been the first to benefit from the country's economic boom over the last ten years. Because of this, many people say that Bratislava is very different from the rest of the country.

Bratislava feels European, chill and at times even cosmopolitan, whereas the rest of Slovakia still feels like a sleepy, undiscovered gem in the geographical heart of Europe. The Danube river flows sluggishly through Bratislava, splitting the city in half and creating further links to Austria's capital city, Vienna, which is less than an hour away by train, car or boat.

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Bratislava for Foreigners

If you are considering moving to Bratislava, you will undoubtedly read blog posts such as this one and join Facebook groups to find out about what it's like living in Bratislava. You will also soon realise that Slovak people are often quite pessimistic about their own country, and will often question your desire to move here.

What's more, the Slovak Republic doesn't have a very big number of foreigners - most choose Bratislava over the other major cities in the country. Because of the small number of foreigners, you may find that sometimes Slovaks are not very welcoming to foreigners, and also many public offices are not very well equipped to help.

Many people believe that if you live here, you have to speak the Slovak language, and they have a very common phrase for this, which you will undoubtedly hear if you choose to live here (Na slovensku po slovensky). Yet I find that this is changing very rapidly - things that I was struggling to access with ease 4 years ago are now a lot more straightforward, which is proof of the country's rapid development.

Also, because of the small number of foreigners, you will often find that expat communities are quite tight-knit, and you will most likely find a lot of people willing to help and give you advice about the expat life here.

Learning Slovak

Although it’s not completely necessary, I do think learning the language will help you with your day-to-day life here and when integrating into society.

It’s always easiest to learn a language in-person when immersed in it but to make more progress, supplement on your own time. Depending on your goals, I recommend these apps/platforms for language learning:

• Drops: Use the free version of this app for 5-minutes of vocab lessons a day. This is good for improving vocab but little else.
• Mondly: If you want to have a little bit more practice, this app is similar to Duolingo but has less silly prompts and more realistic phrases and sentences.
• Babbel: Babbel is similar to Mondly but also teaches cultural tidbits during the language lesson.
• iTalki: If you're more serious about learning to speak the language, this platform allows you to have 1:1 or group lessons with native teachers.

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General Cost of Living in Bratislava

Bratislava is one of those cities where you can live relatively well regardless of the budget you have.

Despite a drastic increase in prices of groceries and basic goods over the past year, there are still many cheaper places for grocery shopping such as Lidl or Kaufland, where you can get most things you need for about 50 euros a week. If you fancy better quality groceries and you have a higher budget, you can choose to shop in Yeme or go over the border to Austria and shop in Austrian grocery shops, which is popular amongst locals and expats alike.

Public transport is one of the things I love the most about Bratislava - the city is serviced by a large fleet of buses and trams, and getting about is extremely easy. The tickets are 0.97 euros for a 30-minute journey, but for the people living in Bratislava and commuting regularly, there is the option of a monthly (40 euros) or yearly ticket (263 euros).

Bus, tram and train tickets can all be bought on the same app, called IDSBK.

Rent varies tremendously based on the area of the city, the size of the place you're hoping to get, and the facilities you have on the premises. Generally speaking, expect to pay anything from 700 euros to 1400 - 1500 per month. Most people living in Bratislava choose to live in an apartment, for the convenience and also the price, but there are a few neighbourhoods where you can rent a house.

Best Neighbourhoods in Bratislava

At this point I should emphasize that most areas in Bratislava are great and you can't really go very wrong when picking a place to live.

For many locals, the only areas where it's less desirable to live, is the south-east part of Bratislava, with boroughs such as Vrakuňa or Podunajské Biskupice. Generally speaking, the southeast part of Bratislava up to the Hungarian border is less desirable.

However, if you choose to move here, Bratislava offers a selection of good neighbourhoods to choose from, depending on your personal preferences:

Stare Mesto

Otherwise known as the old town, Stare Mesto is a wonderful and charming part of the city. With cobblestones, narrow roads and beautiful architecture, Stare Mesto is absolutely marvelous in the summer months.

It's jam-packed with coffee shops, tourists, museums and art galleries; you can't beat the central location, especially if you enjoy meeting people and having a busy schedule.

Expect higher housing costs in this area - generally, 700-800 euros will give you a smaller-sized one bedroom apartment with all the utilities you may need. Parking is also more difficult and it requires a permit.

📍I recommend staying a few nights in Stare Mesto before signing a long-term lease to make sure you like the liveliness living here offers. Book your stay at:

• Budget Option: Bunker Apartment: This one-bedroom apartment is centrally located and should give you a real feel for daily life here.
• Mid-Tier Option: VIP Apartments: Also centrally located, this is more of an apart-hotel that gives you your own space with hotel-like amenities.
• Luxury Option: Roset Hotel & Residence: For a higher-end experience, you'll enjoy a gym, spa, and included breakfast at this luxury hotel (with apartments).

Ružinov/Nove Mesto

These are two other popular choices for foreigners. Ružinov is closer to the old town, and in some areas, especially in the Nivy area, it feels incredibly cosmopolitan and fancy - mostly due to all the new infrastructure and modern public spaces you see everywhere.

Rents here are cheaper, especially in the older parts of Ružinov, yet you are still a stone's throw away from the city centre and you still have a large number of coffee shops, restaurants and parks at your disposal.

Nove Mesto continues after Ružinov, as you are getting further from the centre. This area has quite a few busy roads, and not so many parks or public spaces, so it's less desirable but still safe and decent if you're looking to save on rent.

The only downside of living in Ružinov and Nove Mesto is the fact that the Slovnaft refinery is close by, and at times the byproducts make the air smell awful.

📍Get a feel for this area before signing a long-term lease. I recommend:

• Budget Option: Magnolia Studio Apartment: Located right in Ružinov, this studio apartment offers the basics for a comfortable stay.
• Mid-Tier Option: Spacious Apartment: As the name suggests, this is a 2-bedroom apartment with great park views.
• Luxury Option: Comfy Condo: This is another 2-bedroom apartment option but in a high-rise apartment with full city views and free parking if you have your own car already.

Petržalka

This is another very popular neighbourhood for foreigners, due to its effective links to the rest of the city.

Petržalka was built by the Soviets, when they liberated Bratislava in WW2, so the architecture is very brutalist. There are mostly apartment buildings in this area, and the costs vary greatly.

From around 700 euros for a one-bedroom apartment, Petržalka has flats that fit all budgets. The only thing to consider if you choose to live here is that parking is often not included in the price of rent, so expect to pay another 50-100 euros a month just for that.

📍See if Petržalka is for you by first staying a few nights to get a feel for the area. Check out:

• Budget Option: Vienna Gate Apartment: Conveniently located near a metro stop, you'll get great value at this one-bedroom apartment.
• Mid-Tier Option: More Than Accommodation: Located in the same area, this one is better for those that prefer to stay in hotels rather than vacation rentals. Keep in mind it's adults-only.
• Luxury Option: AH Family Vilova: This two-bedroom luxury apartment will give you and your family a true feel as to what it's like living in Petržalka.

Living Outside of the City

For many expats, basing themselves further from the center of the city is more convenient, because with less money you can get a nicer flat or house in a quiet neighborhood. Thus, boroughs such as Lamač are quite popular with families.

What's more, many expats have moved to Stupava, which is a small town, 15-minutes drive from Bratislava. Here, you can rent a two-bedroom house for about 1000 euros, so you save money and you have more living space.

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Bureaucracy

Moving to the Slovak Republic is, unfortunately, a bit of a bureaucratic nightmare. Similarly to moving anywhere else in the EU, there are a very strict set of conditions you have to meet to be granted permanent or temporary residency.

If you are a EU citizen, there are no restrictions to moving or living in the Slovak Republic, but if you are not a EU citizen, you will find you will need to submit more paperwork and wait longer times for the approval.

What's more, in the Slovak Republic you have something called the "Foreign Police", which is every foreigner's nightmare. They deal with all the paperwork and permits allowing you to live freely in the country, but ever since the Ukrainian conflict, Slovakia has struggled to manage its number of foreigners, and these days it's incredibly difficult and stressful to get an appointment with the foreign police.

To make matters worse, the people working in the foreign police are notoriously bad at refusing to speak English, and they will refuse to see you if you don't bring a translator.

Oftentimes you will notice language barriers when going to the doctor's as well - usually doctors speak English fine, but nurses, receptionists or other hospital staff are often not as comfortable using English. For this reason, many people choose private healthcare insurance over the public healthcare system.

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Pros & Cons of Living in Bratislava

If you want a simple breakdown of life in the Slovak Republic, here's some of the pros and cons of living here:

Pros:

• Decent living conditions and daily life
• A lot of parks, natural beauty and culture
• Family-focused and healthy lifestyle - Slovaks love spending time with their children and enjoy going outside with every opportunity
• Good food with a variety of traditional dishes
• Proximity to other European capitals and other cities within Slovakia, perfect for weekend trips
• Easy to get around using the public system
• Growing economy, airport with an increasing number of direct flights and easy to find employment with large corporations, even if you don't speak Slovak

Cons

• Bureaucracy and permit wait time
• Barriers with the local language
• Not as much to do in the city (if you're someone who enjoys a busy schedule)

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Will You Move to Bratislava?

Although it's not all perfect living here, the pros have far outweighed the cons for our family. We love the location within Europe and our small but tight-knit community of friends.

For those searching for a great city that's still relatively under the radar within Central Europe, I highly recommend you give Bratislava a try.